Improvement in leather washers



FFICE.

CHARLES T. GRILLEY, 0F

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN LEATHER WASHERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.

164,446, dated June l5, 1875; application lied May 15, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES T. GRILLEY, of Boston, county of Suffolk,State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Leather Washers,of which the following is a specification rIhis invention relates toleather washers for use in connections, and with bearings, as incarriage-axles, locomotives, &c., and for packings for connections,cylinders, pumps, and other purposes where leather washers are commonlyemployed.

The invention consists in a washer made of two or more layers orthicknesses of leather connected together, and with the ends of onepiece forming a layer lapped or abutted together, and placed withrelation to the la-pped or abutted ends of the other or adjacent layerso as to break joints, the unbroken or solid leather of each layerserving as a holding-surface for the abutted. ends of the other layer.It is well known that there is, in connection with manufacturingestablishments using' leather, a Very large quantity of leather which,from the small size of the pieces, is denominated waste, and my objectis to utilize this waste. In the manufacture of washers, as commonlypracticed, leather of good quality, and of a thickness to correspondwith the thickness of the desired washer, is cut up into annular rings,washers of large size furnishing from their interiors washers of smallersizes, and from every large washer there are formed many smallerwashers, and in this way it becomes necessary, in getting out an order,say, for washers of two inches inside diameter, to manufacture otherwashers of sizes which may not then be wanted, and in the manufacture ofwashers in this way it is well known that large washers are usuallyrequired to be thicker than small washers, and therefore, when a largewasher is out from a side of leather of proper thickness, the smallerwashers made from the leather cut from the interior of the large washersare too thick, and have to be wasted or cut thinner by the consumer,wasting valuable stock as well. as time, and the washer so cut thin isnot evenly cut. It is also well known that a washer cut as an annulusmost always varies in thickness according to the thickness of theleather,

l which varies at different portions of the side or hide, and they alsovary in density or hardness, as nearly every side of leather has hardand softer spots. Either of these defects renders a washer imperfect,because such a washer will not form as even or tight ajoint as it wouldwere the leather of uniform thickness and hardness. It is not practicalto skive a side of leather evenly by machinery to uniform thickness, andit would not be practiced, for it would result in a great waste of thethickest and best part of the leather. In a washer of not uniformdensity, it will be apparent that when met by metallic or other surfaceswhich it is to pack, that portion of the washer the most dense willregulate the distance between the metallic surfaces, and the otherportion, less dense, will permit the passage of air or liquid, providedthe washer is used to pack a liquid or air joint. It will also beappa-rent that the thickness of the washer depends on the thickness ofthe leather, and that a washer cut from a side of leather as an annuluscannot be thicker than the leather forming the side, and that for thickwashers the best grade of leather is necessarily employed. It will alsobe apparent to persons conversant with leather that an entire side ofleather, if cut into as manyannular washers having an interior diameterof two inches as possible, would result in the production of washersmany of which would vary in thickness from the others. By this my newmethod of manufacturing washers, I am enabled to produce washers of anydesired thickness and size, using such strips or waste pieces as I mayhave.

Figure l represents a strip of leather from which I preferablyT formsmall washers. Fig. 2 represents such a strip bent into annular form andplaced over a second similar strip; Fig. 3, a side view of Fig. 2. Fig.4 shows a top view of a circular washer made up in layers, Fig. 5, anedge View thereof', Fig. 6, a top view of a washer of quadrangulareXterior made up in layers, and Fig. 7 an edge view thereof.

For washers of small diameter for carriages and pumps, I select stripsof leather, preferably skiving each strip to a uniform thickness, and ofa length corresponding with the size of the washer to be produced. Sucha strip, a, I bend into annular form, as at b, and place beside it asecond similar strip, c, or a sufficient number of such strips to form awasher of the desired thickness, in all cases using two or more layers.The ends of each strip a c are lapped by skivin g, or are abuttedtogether, as at d, and each abutting or lapped end is placed opposite asolid or unbroken part of its adjacent piece of leather, such adjacentpiece, by the interposition of a suitable cement, serving as aholding-surface or binder for the lapped or abutting edges, each jointor weak part being strengthened by a solid part of the leather formingthe adjacent layer of the washer. Washers very large, say severalinchesin diameter, may be made of pieces; but, instead of using longstrips for each layer, I may use sections, as seen in Fig. 4, where e erepresent two or more sections or segments, according to the size ot'the washer or scrapleather being used, and these segments e are placedover segments f, two or more, the joint between the edges ofthe segmentsbeing placed or made so as to meet between the ends of other segments,to break joints, as shown by the dotted and full lines, Fig. et, andthese segments, united by a suitable cement, are united under pressure,forming washers of the desired size, and any number ot' layers e f maybe used, according to the thickness .of the washer or packing which itis desired to make.

In Fig. 6, the sections may be as shown at the right or left handcorners, or of any other suitable shape, according to the size of thescrap or waste leather being used, and the joints of the layerscomposing the washer are broken, as shown, so as to make a compact,strong washer when the layers are united by means of cement orotherwise. These sections and layers will preferably be united in apress or between dies ot' a size and shape to correspond vwith the sizeand shape of the washer, and the ends of the pieces composing the washerare abutted together as shown, the layers under the joints acting asbinders or covers at the joints; but the ends might be skived a littlewhere the sections are lapped. These pieces ot' scrap-leather may beselected as to thickness and rolled or consolidated, and then, ifdesired, skived to uniform thickness, so that when completed the washerswill be of uniform thickness and hardness, and it is evident that awasher of any desired size4 or thickness can be easily, quickly, andcheaply made in this way at Very little expense, when lcompared withtheir cost as now produced.

It is evident that the washer of layers may be completed and besubsequently evened or made 'of uniform thickness in any well-known way.Were the sectional washer of but one thickness, the joints would allhave to be skived, resulting in a waste of material, and the washerwould not be as strong and the joints could not be made as impervious tothe passage of steam as is the case with my washer in two or morelayers, having the ends joined and covered by other layers of solidleather.

I claim- A washer composed of superimposed layers of leather, united bymeans ot' cement, and with the abutting or free ends 'of each piece orlayer placed opposite a solid or unbroken portion of its adjacent layer,all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this 'speciication in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES T. GRILLEY. Witnesses:

G. W. GREGORY, L. H. LATIMER.

